Under The Cherry Moon
by Dreamr
Summary: Romance under a lunar eclipse.


**Under The Cherry Moon**

FOREWORD: This story is inspired by the picture of Ryoko reclining against a tree by the lake. I like to call that picture "Freedom". I've also seen a version with characters in the upper left corner that, when translated, read "Devil released". The picture includes Ryo-oh-ki, but I choose not to give her a significant role in this story.

This is pretty much a T+R fic. No inappropriate behavior included. Just funny cute romance stuff.

AUTHOR: Dreamr

LAST REVISION: 22 October 2005

BEGIN.

Ryoko flew. She could scarcely imagine not having the ability; being pinned to the ground by an unseen force. It depressed her just thinking about it. With sake jug in one hand and small saucer in the other she flew through the clear summer night to the tree by the lake. Flying though the summer air at night was sheer joy. She carved lazy barrel-rolls and loop-the-loops through the air, feeling the warm air flow through her hair and against her face. Tonight, it was warm enough to briefly entertain the idea of losing her clothes entirely and letting the beautiful night air caress her body without obstruction. But she decided not. If one of her friends saw her flying around naked, they would probably flip out. Ryoko didn't feel like causing trouble tonight. It was too nice for that.

For this flight she had chosen a light and airy ensemble consisting of an open neck tank-top with long sleeves that showed lots of cleavage, and a split skirt with a V-shape waist-line that hung low on her hips. As long as she wore nothing underneath between her skin and the outfit, Ryoko could enjoy the feel of the evening air all she liked without having to go completely naked.

Hanging a sharp turn around the crown of the immense tree, Ryoko shot up several thousand feet into the air and then released her power of flight, allowing local gravity to pull her to a dead stop in the air. As she began to fall feet-first towards the ground, her dress began flapping up, revealing her slender thighs to the night. Extending her free arm straight out to the side, Ryoko caught the air, causing herself to tilt over and spin while in free-fall. As she approached an inverted attitude she extended the other arm, balancing the wind resistance and halting the rotation as she faced down towards the lake.

Ryoko closed her eyes. Folding her arms back just apart from her sides, she arced her back, exposing her chest more fully to the wind that billowed through her loose top. Savoring the feel of the warm air sliding along her skin like the caress of a lover's hands, Ryoko inhaled deeply of the night air, infusing herself of it's dark magic. She could stay like this forever, enjoying the touch of night, except for the unpleasant impact that would inevitably end her flight.

When the moment felt right, Ryoko spun around backwards one-and-a-half times. Her feet slammed into the earth, sinking three inches down through the grassy topsoil. The impact caused Ryoko no harm. She was tough by any race's standards, and had survived falls from much higher. She looked up at the Masaki house hoping to see a familiar round face in one of the uppermost windows. She knew that Tenchi was aware that she took these night-time flights. Once, in a rare moment of solitude with Tenchi, she had offered to take him along. As she had been expecting, he had declined. But since then, she sometimes caught him watching her from his window when she took her flights of fancy. But tonight she did not see his face.

With a sigh of disappointment, Ryoko faced away from the house and floated under the canopy of the enormous tree, Funaho. This was Yosho's tree. Here it stood for the last seven hundred years, and likely it would stand for another seven hundred, if not seven thousand. For a while after Tenchi had freed her from her imprisonment, Ryoko had mixed feelings about this tree. But gradually, she had begun to realize that if her past had been different in any number of ways, she likely would never have met Tenchi. In fact, if not for her past, Tenchi would never even have been born. Knowing him and being close to him was worth everything she had been through. But now, because of Tenchi, all of that was behind her. Now, she could live her life the way she wanted.

Finding her normal sitting place at the tree's roots, Ryoko sat down with her back to the trunk of the tree so that she could look East out from under the canopy. Already the horizon was growing bright. It was always brighter in that direction because of the cities on the coastal regions. But this was something much more magnificent. Soon the moon would rise, big and fat, over the trees on the Eastern horizon. Ryoko snuggled into the tree's feet setting one arm along the large outgrowing root on her left. It seemed that she still had a few minutes to wait.

As so frequently occured, Ryoko found her thoughts wandering towards Tenchi. No matter how hard she tried to attract his attention he never seemed to hold more than a casual interest in her. Sometimes he even seemed to genuinely dislike her. Those were tough moments when he turned an angry glare on her or yelled at her. There were good moments, too. That was the way life worked, after all. But still, there were a few things she would like to show Tenchi; a few specific physical things that she knew he would greatly appreciate if only he would allow her to try.

Ryoko lifted her left leg and pointed her toes at the edge of the tree's canopy of leaves. Her dress fell away from her outstretched leg, revealing one well-toned thigh. It bothered her that Tenchi never seemed to find any physical interest in her. She had great confidence in her looks, as well as her abilities. If only she could find some way of attracting his interest. But all of her attempts thus far had resulted in magnificent failures. She couldn't cook to save her life. (Ryoko cursed Washu for the ten-thousandth time regarding her lack of a sense of taste). She couldn't abide cleaning up someone else's mess. Hell. She could hardly stand cleaning-up after herself. Though for Tenchi she would gladly tend his home by cooking and cleaning.

With a derisive snort Ryoko set her foot down, drawing it up under her rear. She looked to the East once more, wishing that the moon-rise would come faster, but knowing that it would not. At least her ruminations kept her mind busy while waiting for the anticipated event. The tree-tops were much brighter now. Soon...

Ah! There it was, peeking through the dense crown of foliage. Ryoko could just make out a few silvery spots moving back and forth in the leaves. The full moon rising always calmed her. With an appreciative smile, Ryoko reached for the sake jug at her side.

"May I join you?"

Ryoko's head snapped to the left at the sudden intrusion into her personal moment. However, she had no intention of getting indignant with Tenchi. In fact, he rarely showed any interest in her personal affairs at all. This was a pleasant change. For once, he had sought her out.

"If you want."

Tenchi moved from her left side to just past the end of her outstretched foot and sat on the ground.

"I've been wondering what it is you do when you come out here."

Ryoko looked out across the water to check on the moon's progess. Another minute or two and the moon would crest the tree-tops. Unsure of how to answer to Tenchi's statement of interest, but knowing how she was feeling this evening, Ryoko decided on something subtly suggestive.

"Stick around and maybe you'll find out." Reaching for her sake again, Ryoko pulled the cork from the neck of the jug. The wooden plug slid out with a hollow pop sound. She tossed the cork to Tenchi.

"Catch!"

Caught by surprise, Tenchi baubled the cork for a moment before securing it in his hands. He watched as Ryoko filled the little round saucer that she seemed so fond of. But she did not drink from it. She seemed to be waiting for something while staring across the lake. Curious, Tenchi looked ahead to see what she was staring at. When he saw the tiny spots of silvery light through the trees, he knew she was waiting for the moon to come up.

"I never imagined that you're the sort of person to watch a moon-rise."

A touch of sarcasm slipped out as Ryoko felt a twinge of pain hearing Tenchi say that he didn't think of her as a sensitive person.

"Yeah. 'magine that." Ryoko lifted her saucer as the first sliver of moon-light emerged from behind the trees. She wasn't at all certain she could go on with her own personal little ritual with Tenchi sitting right here next to her. But she wanted to include him in it. She wanted him to know her this way, as well as how he normally saw her. If anyone else were present, she certainly would not go through with it. But still, it wasn't as easy as she expected. This was a personal moment for her.

"It's beautiful." Tenchi admired the rising moon. Beside him, Ryoko took a deep breath. Then she began to speak in a barely audible whisper. Curious about what she was saying, he kept perfectly still so that no sound would interfere with his hearing.

"Hello, Moon." Ryoko glanced at Tenchi, wondering what she should say about his presence tonight. "We... have a guest. Hope you don't mind."

Tenchi struggled to keep a neutral face. He didn't want to do anything to make Ryoko think that he disapproved or thought of her actions as funny or odd. Actually, he thought it was rather cute, and even touching.

"Well," Ryoko continued, "here we go. Um... this one's for Sasami, for always being so helpful and happy." Ryoko raised the saucer to her lips and drained it. She quickly refilled it from the jug before Tenchi could say anything. "This one's for Mihoshi, for being so goofy and clumsy."

Ryoko went on, giving a toast for everyone she could think of, one at a time.

"This one's for Washu, for wanting to be my Mom. This one's for Ryo-oh-ki for always being there for me. This one's for Aeka, for making me laugh. This one's for Yosho, for sparing me when he didn't have to. This one's for Tenchi's Mom and Dad, for getting married and having kids. And this one..." Ryoko's hand began to shake so bad she nearly spilled the sake. "This one's for Tenchi for giving me my freedom, and for coming to save my sorry ass every time I get into trouble."

Ryoko risked a quick glance at Tenchi as she drank her final drink of sake. He was still looking out at the moon. In about an hour, the silvery disk would ascend up behind the canopy of Yosho's great tree, hiding once more from her observation. But for the moment she had both the moon and Tenchi all to herself.

"This one's for you, Mister Moon, for always coming back to see me." Ryoko refilled her saucer again. But this time she did not drink from it. Instead, she poured the contents into the lake. The water's surface rippled as the smooth liquid struck it's almost perfectly reflective surface. The ripples spread out as far as they could see, making the moon's reflection jump in appreciation. Ryoko grinned at the effect. "You're welcome."

Tenchi stared at the rapidly moving ripples. He felt truly touched by what Ryoko had said. But there was one person she had left out.

"Ryoko, could I have a drink, please?"

Ryoko gaped at Tenchi in shock. He never drank voluntarily. Usually she had to force it down his throat.

"I guess. But I thought you don't drink." She commented as she filled the saucer and handed it to Tenchi.

"Well, tonight I do." Tenchi took the saucer and held it up as Ryoko had. "To Ryoko, for..." Tenchi paused as he tried to sort out his thoughts and say something meaningful. There were a number of things he could say. But he wanted to say the right thing.

Hearing Tenchi hesitate, Ryoko felt that maybe Aeka had not just been teasing her about being useless and lazy. Honestly, she couldn't think of anything that she did to contribute to the family. What would a fine upstanding young man like Tenchi ever want with a lazy, slovenly, drunken, bum of a former space-pirate demon-girl?

"Can't think of anything, can you?"

Tenchi looked at Ryoko in surprise. She was staring out across the lake at nothing. His resolve stiffened as he made up his mind to say something positive about Ryoko, no matter how insignificant it might be. Thinking further, Tenchi realized that, if not for Ryoko, he would never have known about any of what went on in outer space, or about his extended family on Jurai. It was really amazing to know for certain that such things were going on over his head, even if he sometimes felt that it was just too much to digest all at once. Of course, he now had a much larger family at home, something he had been missing for too long in his life.

"To Ryoko, for... opening my eyes." Tenchi quickly slammed back the sake, intending to down it as fast as he could, thinking that Ryoko would appreciate his brevity. But the sake wasn't really sake. It was liquor, and it burned like Hell going down. Tenchi nearly snorted it out his nose when the fumes rolled through his nostrils. He barely managed to get it down without an embarrassing accident. Once it was safely encased within his stomach, he heaved a sigh of relief.

"What's in that jug?"

Ryoko did not bother to answer. It was completely unimportant. What was important was that Tenchi had given her a toast. She did not feel worthy of it, but it had been given, and by Tenchi of all people. It meant the world to her to hear him say it. Then again, she had no idea what he meant by saying that she had opened his eyes.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Tenchi didn't really want to explain it. He hardly understood it himself. But a good come-back quickly came to mind.

"Stick around and maybe you'll find out."

"Har, har. You're so funny." Grumbling melodramatically, Ryoko looked away while Tenchi chuckled at her disgruntlment.

Unsure of what to do next, Ryoko bashfully lowered her eyes. She found that she had neglected to cover her exposed left leg. She was bare right up to the hip. An idea began to form in her mind. A grin spreading across her face, Ryoko pulled her right leg up and grasped both ankles in her hands. Her dress lay between her legs keeping her private areas covered while leaving her thighs completely exposed in a manner she hoped Tenchi would find provocative.

"Tenchi, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"No, Ryoko." Trying not to stare at Ryoko, Tenchi looked out ahead at the moon as it made its slow journey from tree to tree.

"Well, what about tomorrow night?" Ryoko asked.

Tenchi sighed at Ryoko's repeated invitations. "You're never going to stop asking, are you?"

"You're never going to accept, are you?" Ryoko countered with dissatisfaction.

Tenchi kept silent, not wanting to rule out any possible future, despite his present reluctance.

"Well, all I can say for now is that if you ever need someone, I'll be there for you."

Ryoko knew what Tenchi meant, and she felt grateful for it. But she couldn't help a mischievous smile coming to her lips.

"Tenchi, I need you. I need you now."

Thinking that the rare moment of honesty had passed, Tenchi got up to leave.

"I think I'd better go back inside."

"Wait!" Ryoko sat up away from the tree, her sexual invitations quickly forgotten under the threat of Tenchi leaving. "You don't have to go. I... won't come on to you anymore."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Ryoko pouted with disappointment, her arms crossed across her chest.

"All right, then. Just as long as we understand each other."

Ryoko warily watched Tenchi as he sat down again.

"Who said anything about understanding each other?"

Surprised, Tenchi looked at Ryoko. He had always thought they had a good understanding with each other, and that Ryoko's invitations were something of a game to her. But apparently that was not the case. Ryoko didn't look angry, just disappointed and maybe a little dejected.

Ryoko met Tenchi's surprised gaze for a moment, then looked away. She hadn't meant to snap at Tenchi. But sometimes he was just so frustrating. Since her advances and poses were obviously just as ineffective as usual, Ryoko closed her legs and curled them up to her chest where she wrapped both arms around her knees. She then looked off to her right at the moon-dappled lake. The beautiful sight helped to calm her faster than what she could have accomplished on her own.

Tenchi felt bad to hear that Ryoko thought that they did not understand each other. He wanted to offer some words of support or apology, but he couldn't think of anything appropriate. Thinking that maybe it was time to change the subject, Tenchi recalled something that his father had mentioned earlier.

"I heard there's supposed to be an eclipse tonight."

"That so?" Ryoko blithely remarked. She couldn't recall the last time she had witnessed an eclipse, lunar or solar. Frankly, that kind of thing didn't really attract her interest.

"It is." Tenchi replied, continuing to make conversation. "But, I guess you've probably seen lots of those, you being from outer space and all."

Ryoko opened her mouth to agree with Tenchi. But as she thought more about it, the more she found that she could not recall ever having seen an eclipse from planet-side.

"Actually... I don't think I have."

"Really?" Tenchi found himself greatly surprised for the second time tonight.

"Well, now that I think about it, I did spend a lot of time in space. But most of that was spent out in inter-galactic space where there weren't any planets or moons."

"Huh. I never thought of it like that." Knowing now that Ryoko had never seen a lunar eclipse, a great idea suddenly came to mind. "I know! Why don't we all get together tonight and stay up to watch?"

"Like a party?" Ryoko asked, her enthusiasm quickly returning.

"Right!"

Although she would have much prefered to watch the eclipse alone with Tenchi, a party would still a nice compromise. With any luck, the other girls would drift off to sleep, leaving her alone with Tenchi once more.

"Sure!"

"Great!" Smiling with renewed excitement, Tenchi practically jumped to his feet in his haste to tell the rest of the family. "I'll go tell the others!"

Ryoko smiled fondly after Tenchi as he ran back towards the house, leaving her alone with the moon. As much as she liked watching the full moon rise, she would much rather be with Tenchi. He at least answered when she spoke. Speaking of the moon, Ryoko looked out across the water again, still smiling brightly. She knew she probably looked goofy with a big bright smile of joy on her long-eared, pointy-haired, cat-eyed face. But she didn't care. No one was around anyway. She could smile and giggle like a girl all she wanted.

"What do you think, Moon?" Ryoko whispered aloud. "Ryoko... Masaki?"

"Hey, that does have a nice ring to it."

The voice of her self-proclaimed mother was so close that Ryoko jumped at least ten meters in an instant out of sheer fright. Dressed in a light-weight summer kimono (rather unusual for Washu, but not for the season), the girl was proceeding to sit in Ryoko's spot and help herself to the liquor while Ryoko floated in the air regaining her composure.

"W-w-w-washu! What the Hell do you mean scarin' me like that!"

"Well, you just looked so cute sitting there smiling and giggling like a school girl with her first crush, I didn't want to intrude. But when I heard you try out Tenchi's family name, I just couldn't help myself."

Washu took a big swig of Ryoko's liquor and nearly choked on it. Pounding a clutched fist to her chest, Washu forced the strong liquid down and then gasped for air to clear her sinuses of the alcohol fumes.

"Wah! That's the stuff!"

"Why, you..." Ryoko glared daggers at Washu, who seemed to think that the sake jug was hers to plunder at will.

"But, seeing as we're trying out Tenchi's name..." Washu raised a hand to her cheek, which was blushing a faint shade of red, "how does Washu Masaki sound?"

Hearing Washu trying out Tenchi's name pushed every wrong button Ryoko possessed.

"No! It sounds like crap! Tenchi's mine and you can't have him!" Folding her arms across her chest, Ryoko tried to look as if this little idea of Washu's was no longer an issue. "Besides, what would he want with a flat-chested little girl like you?"

"Oh, how easily you forget."

The drop in the timber of Washu's voice told Ryoko exactly what she had forgotten. Washu was once again wearing her adult form. The cute summer kimono that fit her so well as a child did little to hide the charms of an adult. Washu's long milky thighs protruded well past the lower hem of her kimono, which was now far too short for her. It was more like a tight skirt now. Also, with a full-sized bust, her kimono simply couldn't handle the extra girth. The poor silken garment was stretched so wide open at the chest that Ryoko expected Washu's womanly assets to spill out at any second.

"Quit worrying so much." The red-head told her. "You've got my DNA, so you've got the looks. You just need to work on your approach."

"Oh, yeah?" Ryoko mumbled under her breath as she touched-down at the water's edge. "What's wrong with my approach?" Looking down at the glassy-smooth surface, she could see her reflection gazing back at her. It wasn't the face of a person from this planet. It was the face of an alien. But it was her face. If Tenchi couldn't appreciate her for whom she was, then it was his loss. Still, it couldn't hurt to try fitting in a little more. Maybe one of those kimonos like what Washu was wearing.

"Hey. You got any more of those clothes?"

"This?" Washu plucked at the hem of her kimono with a knowing smile. "I just might. What's in it for me?"

"'Tsk." Ryoko clucked her tongue in contempt. "That's what I hate about you."

"Eh?" Washu sat up in shock.

"You always want something in return."

"Get used to it, Ryoko-chan. That's how the system works."

"Well, the system sucks." Not in any mood to take Washu's dubious advice, Ryoko stood up and started floating back to the house to go change. "I'll figure it out on my own. I always do."

"Wait a second!"

Washu teleported over to Ryoko and snatched her elbow to prevent her from leaving. Ryoko looked over her shoulder, baring her fangs at Washu.

"I said I can handle it."

"Sure! Sure! But there's something you want from me, and there's something I want that you might be able to get for me, but not without my help. So, the way I see it, we can help each other out. Unless, you're not interested in Tenchi anymore."

Washu couldn't stop from grinning when she saw Ryoko visibly cringe. The girl spun around, her face the picture of frustration.

"That's none of your business!"

"Hey, relax!" Washu assured her with a smile and a pat on the arm. "I'm saying that I'll help you out with Tenchi tonight. But, in exchange, if you happen to get lucky," Washu leaned a little closer so that no unwanted eaves-droppers would over-hear, "you have to let me have a bit of his sperm for my research."

Ryoko's eyes went wide and her face turned beet-red with shock and embarrassment. She had never heard anything so wrong in her life. Washu had to be playing some sort of sick joke.

"Are... are you serious!"

"Sure! Why not? He'll never know."

"Screw you!" Ryoko screeched before leaping into the air and flying away.

Washu laughed out loud at her little Ryoko's reaction. She would have made good on the deal. Too bad Ryoko was so sensitive about Tenchi. But, deep-down Washu had not really expected her to accept. Ryoko was just too passionate.

With another chuckle, Washu raised her right hand. The gesture was sufficient to summon her holographic terminal. Quickly flipping through some pictures, she found a summer kimono that she felt would look good on Ryoko. It was the least she could do as recompense for embarrassing the poor girl so badly.

Grumbling and muttering to herself, Ryoko ripped her outfit off and threw it across the room.

"Give you a sample... I'll give you a sample."

She couldn't figure why Washu's offer so offended her. It made good business sense. But for some reason she just couldn't accept the idea of parting with what she would receive for the pleasure of spending a night with Tenchi.

"Damn you, Washu. Anything Tenchi gives me I'm keepin'. And I'm damn sure gonna earn it on my own!"

A surge of energy and the sound of something flopping to the floor alerted Ryoko to an intrusive presence. She spun around, ready to slap the spit out of Washu's mouth. But no one was there. Glancing around her very messy room, she saw nothing out of the ordinary at first. Fortunately, just looking with her eyes was not the only investigative avenue available to Ryoko. Concentrating on the energy signature she has sensed a moment ago, Ryoko easily discerned what had changed. The white kimono on the floor still bore the residue of a recent trans-dimensional relocation.

One could never be too careful when Washu was involved. Summoning her energy sword, Ryoko floated a little closer and poked the garment with the tip. The garment seemed innocent enough. With the conversation of a minute ago still fresh in her mind, Ryoko figured that Washu had likely provided the kimono.

"What the Hell..."

Slipping the tip of her sword into what looked like a sleeve opening, Ryoko lifted the garment up without directly touching it. Turning her head side to side, Ryoko saw that it was a white kimono with plum-blossom designs embroidered into it.

"The answer's still no." Ryoko absebt-mindedly spoke aloud as she tilted her sword up, causing the kimono to slide to her hand. "But if you're gonna just give me this..."

An hour and a half later, the family, short Ryoko, was assembled on the dock that extended out over the water in front of the house to watch the approaching lunar eclipse. Someone had spread out a couple thick blankets and several pillows to lie on. There were snacks, drinks, and plenty of good humor. The warm summer evening air made any cumbersome cold-weather clothing unnecessary. Everyone was wearing light casual cloths appropriate to the season. Sasami was happily pouring tea for Aeka, Tenchi, and herself. Mihoshi and Washu seemed to prefer sake this evening. Ryo-oh-ki was enjoying a spill-proof cup of carrot juice. Ryoko, however, had yet to appear.

"Has anyone seen Ryoko?" Sasami asked aloud.

"No." Came the various answers.

"But..."

"Don't worry, Sasami." Tenchi assured the girl with a smile. "This was Ryoko's idea, after all. She'll be here, I'm sure of it."

"Okay."

Washu smiled to herself as she watched the exchange over her saucer of sake. Ryoko would definitely make an appearance. There was no way she would waste an opportunity to get closer to Tenchi. Aeka, on the other hand, did not share in her confidence.

"I find it hard to believe Miss Ryoko came up with such a plan. Lord Tenchi, on the other hand, would certainly think to share this event with everyone."

"Well, thanks, Aeka. But it really was Ryoko who gave me the idea."

"Is that so?" Aeka mumbled thoughtfully over her tea. She couldn't for the life of her figure out how this little get-together had come about. Tenchi adamantly denied any significant role in planning this. But Ryoko couldn't resist any chance to brag about her accomplishments, no matter how small. If she had really thought it up, she would be here. Even then, what was so important that Ryoko would not attend this event?

Sighing into her cup, Aeka thought for at least the second time of how much she would like a drink of sake. But with Lord Tenchi present, she didn't want to over-indulge and end-up looking like a slovenly space-pirate.

"Evenin'." Came Ryoko's subdued, yet cheerful, voice.

_"Speak of the devil."_

"Wow, Ryoko!" Sasami exclaimed. "You look pretty!"

Aeka promptly choked on her tea while Washu started chuckling to herself.

"Oh, Ryoko..." Mihoshi stared at Ryoko with a huge smile.

Tenchi just stared. He had never seen Ryoko looking so beautiful. She had her hair tied up in the familiar pony-tail. But with a kimono, the effect was astounding. He could see the nape of her neck sweeping into her white plum-blossom kimono with red obi sash. What he couldn't see were cleavage or thigh; visual traits he normally associated with Ryoko. But the night was young. No doubt she would eventually relax and let herself out, so to speak. Hopefully, she would not let too much of herself out.

Ryoko took instant note of how Tenchi was looking at her. She was used to being stared at; just not by him. It was just like that time she had worn his mother's kimono. She quickly looked away, blushing.

"You better not have drank all the sake, Mihoshi."

"Oh, no, not at all, Ryoko." Mihoshi lifted up an entire bottle of sake for Ryoko to see. "There's still plenty left."

"Ah!" Smiling in anticipation, Ryoko floated over the group's heads and touched down between Mihoshi and Washu. "Gimme that."

"Okay..." Mihoshi replied as Ryoko snatched the bottle from her hand and upended it, draining nearly half the bottle in one draught. "Wow. You go, Ryoko!"

"Nice kimono." Washu slyly commented from her place on the deck.

"Yeah, well, I found it lying around in my room. So, I figure it must be mine." Ryoko intentionally met Washu's gaze, daring her to say something to the contrary.

"Sure. Sure. Makes perfect sense."

Tenchi smiled at the interplay between Ryoko, Washu, and Mihoshi. So much for a pretty and demure Ryoko. Still, she did look awfully nice tonight.

"Aeka!" Sasami complained from nearby as Aeka unceremoniously relieved her of the duties of tea-preparer.

"Excuse me, Lord Tenchi. Would you like another cup of tea?"

"But, I was pouring the tea, Aeka."

Tenchi looked away from Ryoko to see Sasami glaring at Aeka, who was holding a hot pot of tea. Her smile seemed rather forced. Looking into his cup, Tenchi saw that he was still over half-full.

"Um, not just yet, Aeka. But, thanks."

Aeka's face fell. She had to find a way to recapture Tenchi's attention, and fast. Looking up, she pointed at the reddening moon.

"Ah! Look! I think its started!"

Everyone looked up, giving Aeka a moment to look upon Tenchi's features. She loved to just watch his expressions. His face was the picture of masculinity. But whenever he smiled at her, her heart would flutter joyfully in her chest.

"You know, I think you're right." Tenchi said aloud as he examined the moon.

"I am?" Surprised, Aeka looked up to see for herself.

The moon was already very red. Apparently, the atmosphere on this planet made the sun's light turn red to the naked eye. Looking carefully, Aeka saw that there was indeed a small sliver missing from one side of the dusty satellite.

"Oh, yes. I see. But, it's not very big."

"You think so?" Tenchi asked.

"Jurai's moon is much larger. Because it's so large, we rarely get to see a full eclipse. However, for the same reason, we frequently see partial eclipses."

"Yup. Basic astronomy." Washu nodded in agreement.

"Heh." Ryoko grinned. "You mean Aeka actually studied?"

"Hmph." Aeka snorted. "That's more studying than you've done in your entire life I'm sure, Ryoko."

"Now, now." Tenchi gently admonished the girls. "Let's keep it friendly tonight, okay?"

"Yes, Lord Tenchi." Aeka quickly agreed, seeing as she had just gotten in the last word.

"I guess I can be nice." Ryoko reluctantly agreed, staring up at the moon. "But just this once."

"Gee, thanks." Tenchi sighed, not really expecting the agreement to last, but grateful for the short reprieve.

"Aeka, can I have the tea-pot back, please?" Sasami requested of her elder sister with as much patience and tact as she could muster.

"Oh." Aeka looked at her sister apologetically and held out the pot. "I'm sorry, Sasami. Here."

"It's okay." Sasami accepted the pot with renewed cheer and great understanding of her sister's jealousy. She loved her sister, and all her friends, dearly, and wanted nothing else except for them to be happy. It was a simple process, really. By cooking and cleaning, she could help achieve that. Besides that, what else was there for her to do? Stifling a yawn, Sasami considered pouring another round of tea for everyone. But if she kept this up, everyone would be going to the bathroom all night. Not good.

Seeing her younger sister yawning tiredly, Aeka thought again that maybe Sasami ought to be in bed, rather than staying up.

"Sasami, are you certain you want to stay up for this? It is getting awfully late."

"Nn." Sasami nodded. She was absolutely certain that she wanted to see her first lunar eclipse. It was even more important to her because Tenchi had invited her to watch. "What about you, Ryo-chan?" Looking to her right, Sasami saw that Ryo-chan was lying on the blanket fast asleep, her spill-proof cup of carrot juice laying on it's side next to her. The sisters giggled at the endearing picture.

Tenchi also smiled at the sight. This was what he really liked the most about his friends. Since his mother's unexpected death, there had been a hole in his life. But with all these girls around, he didn't feel so lonely anymore. None of them could replace his mother. But they were a nice compromise, despite the occasional unasked-for adventure. Sighing contendedly, Tenchi lifted his tea and sipped.

"Ah, this is nice."

"Do you like it?" Sasami asked, happy that her tea was bringing a smile to Tenchi's face.

"Huh?" Tenchi wasn't quite sure what Sasami meant until he realized that he had spoken aloud. "Oh, the tea. It delicious, Sasami. But, what I meant was that this..." Tenchi gestured around him, "having everyone around like this is nice."

The girls all looked fondly at Tenchi, their eyes misting with heart-felt appreciation. A second later, they all came flying at him at once.

"Hey!"

Each girl managed to grab hold of an appendage or limb. Aeka, being the closest, scored an entire arm for herself. Washu, who was already facing Tenchi's direction, leapt over Ryoko and landed right in his lap with a joyful laugh. Ryoko flipped over in mid-air, narrowly avoiding Washu and flew through the air to take him around the other arm opposite from Aeka. She buried her nose and against his shoulder, looking up at him through her hair. Sasami, being more shy because of her age, settled for just sitting with a small smile and a blush on her face. Mihoshi jumped up and leapt straight forward, tackling him around the shoulders and knocking him flat on his back.

"Does this mean you like us?" Mihoshi gleefully asked once the gang-pile had settled a bit.

"Uh... heh-heh. Well..." Tenchi hesitated to answer. "Let's just say that I don't regret the decisions I've made."

As soon as she heard Tenchi say that he did not regret his decisions, Ryoko knew he was talking about her. If he had never ventured into her cave, she would still be imprisoned, and the others would never have arrived, either. Sure, it would be less trouble for him. But if not for his actions, she would have no life, no friends, no family, and worst of all, no love. Her heart beating wildly, Ryoko felt her way down Tenchi's arm, took his hand, and squeezed. Although she dared not say how she felt out loud for fear of how embarrassing it would be to reveal such personal feelings in front of the others, Ryoko had no such difficulties with saying it to herself. Someday, though, she would tell him face-to-face.

_"I love you so much, Tenchi."_

All the giggling and cooing suddenly stopped. The silence that followed was incredibly profound.

"Oh, my, Ryoko!" Mihoshi blushed as she stared at Ryoko with a knowing grin. "You're really brave to say something like that in front of everybody."

"That had better not have been you, Ryoko-san!" Aeka threatened as she sat up.

Lifting her head and looking around at how everyone was staring at her, Ryoko suddenly realized that she had inadvertantly used telepathy to transmit her thoughts. It happened every once in a while when her thoughts and feelings were in alignment and she really wanted to say something but feared embarrassing herself by saying anything out loud; like just now. Consequently, Ryoko's face began turning beet-red.

"I... I didn't say anything!"

"Yes, you did!" Everyone exclaimed, except for Tenchi, who had the good sense not to get involved, and Washu, who was clawing at the air in an attempt to get some oxygen.

Her eyes wide with dismay at the unity of opinion being displayed before her, Ryoko scrambled backwards to get away from the intensity of their stares. Forgetting where she was, Ryoko fell off the end of the deck and into the lake with a huge splash.

"Ryoko-san!"

"Ryoko-oneesama!"

Mihoshi and Sasami went go go help Ryoko, while Washu, finally able to breath again now that Mihoshi was no longer laying on top of her, knelt over Tenchi catching her breath. Aeka, thinking herself the smart one, stayed with Tenchi. Tenchi, however, also concerned for Ryoko, jumped up and went to the edge of the deck to help, leaving Aeka with Washu.

"Tenchi-sama!" Aeka extended one hand out to Tenchi in a futile attempt to keep him near to her.

Tenchi, Sasami, and Mihoshi looked down into the rippling water, waiting for Ryoko to surface. When she did, her hair was all slicked back and wet, and she looked very downcast. Tenchi extended a hand and a smile.

"Can I lend you a hand?"

Ryoko sheepishly accepted Tenchi's offer of assistance even though she really didn't need it.

Tenchi stepped back to give Ryoko room as she floated up out of the water. But as she came up, Tenchi got an eyeful of her soaking wet kimono clinging to her body like a second skin. Clearly, she was not wearing any underclothes. Tenchi's nose promptly spurted blood.

"In the name of Heaven!" Aeka shrieked when she saw the display. Jumping to her feet, she snatched the blanket up, sending the various snacks and refreshments flying in her effort to cover Ryoko. She slung the blanket around Ryoko, covering her from neck to toe. "There. Now go change your clothes before you embarrass Tenchi-sama any further!"

Although Ryoko wasn't quite sure what the commotion was about, she knew when she did not appreciate a person's attention. Having Aeka sling a blanket around her definitely fell into that category.

"Maybe I ought to change your attitude, instead."

"I'd like to see you try it!"

At the end of her patience, Ryoko shredded the blanket in an instant.

"You're on!" She challenged, summoning several balls of energy in preparation for the upcoming fight. "I'll learn ya to get between me and Tenchi!"

"Uh-oh. I think they're going to start fighting again." Mihoshi took a cautious step back and fell off the deck into the lake.

"Aeka-neesama! Ryoko-neesama! You shouldn't be fighting!" Sasami loudly admonished the older girls. "Tenchi-niisama was nice enough to invite us out to watch the eclipse and now you're ruining it for everybody!"

Thinking quickly in order to divert the coming violence, Washu pointed towards the house. "Hey, look! Tenchi's getting away!"

Everyone looked in the direction Washu was pointing to see Tenchi quietly sneaking away, his hand held to his nose. He froze in place for a second, then began sprinting for the house at top speed.

"Tenchi!" As one, the girls all charged after Tenchi, intent on bringing him back.

Ever so quietly, Ryoko floated through the silent halls of the Masaki home. It was very late and she did not want to wake the others, especially Aeka. She really wasn't in the mood to deal with the princess tonight.

Ryoko's reason for this particular late-night trip was to take the white kimono she had worn and simply leave it in Tenchi's room. She had no intention of ever wearing it again. Tonight had been a one-shot deal. Being all feminine and demure just wasn't her style. Ryoko is Ryoko, and no one else. Although, she had to admit it was nice to see how Tenchi appreciated her special preparations tonight. With a melancholy sigh, Ryoko floated through the upstairs wall and into Tenchi's room.

Ryoko gasped to see Tenchi sitting up in bed, looking out his window. The young man looked away from the window and smiled at her.

"Hey, Ryoko. I was kind of expecting you to come see me tonight."

"You were?"

"Yes. Actually, I kind of want to talk to you."

"You do?"

"Yes."

Ryoko certainly wasn't adverse to having a nice talk alone with Tenchi. But the circumstances were so unusual that she felt a little ambivalent about it. She felt like she was about to be disciplined for bad behavior. She could practically feel the bad vibes as she sat down on the edge of Tenchi's bed.

"So... what'd I do, now?"

"What?" Tenchi looked at Ryoko in surprise, then chuckled. "No, Ryoko. You're not in trouble. What made you think that?"

_"Lack of confidence."_ Ryoko thought to herself. "Nothin'."

"Hmm." Tenchi took along look at Ryoko. She seemed a little out of emotional balance. She was dressed in one of her typical light summer fashions. In this case, she was wearing a simple sleeveless red dress that was split up to the hip on the left side, allowing him to see one shapely thigh. The sides, where the wearer's arms came out of the dress, were cut half-way down the sides. Because of this, combined with his position in relation to Ryoko and Ryoko's chest size, he could see the swell of her breast through the open side of her dress. Other than the typical skin baring features, Tenchi thought this dress was a little plain for her. But maybe she had chosen it because she didn't want to wear anything complicated before going to bed at such a late hour.

"It's pretty late, isn't it?" Tenchi mentioned, looking back out the window.

"Not really." Ryoko disagreed. "Theres plenty of time left tonight."

"Time for what?"

Ryoko blushed a bit. She was thinking certain thoughts again about things she wanted to do with Tenchi.

"Well... uh..." Looking around, Ryoko suddenly recalled why she had come in the first place. "I uh... brought you this." She nervously held out the kimono to Tenchi.

Tenchi looked back inside to see what Ryoko had brought.

"Isn't that the kimono you wore tonight?"

"Yeah. But, I'm not going to wear it again. So... here."

Tenchi chuckled at the well-meant offer. "But Ryoko, what would I do with a woman's kimono?"

"Uh..."

"Besides, it looks good on you. You should keep it for another occasion."

"Really?" Ryoko's voice jumped in pitch at hearing Tenchi say that he thought she looked good in the kimono. "You really liked it?"

Tenchi nodded in firm support. "You looked... um..." Pausing for a moment Tenchi carefully considered what he was going to say before actually saying it. "You looked really good tonight."

Ryoko's smile was so bright and happy that Tenchi didn't need a light to see clearly. It was nice to see Ryoko smile lke that. So often he saw her with a sneer or frown, or some other silly or rude face. Seeing her with an honest-to-goodness happy smile really warmed his heart.

"Well, I just wanted to say that. I was really surprised to see you all dressed-up like that. I apologize if I was staring."

"No! I don't mind. Stare all you want." Ryoko happily encouraged him.

"Uh, no, I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable." Tenchi politely declined, making sure not to stare. Instead he looked out the window again. "You know... the eclipse isn't over yet."

"Is that so? Why don't we watch it together?" Ryoko threw the suggestion out on the spur of the moment, not expecting Tenchi to agree.

"I think I'd like that."

Ryoko almost fell off the bed.

"I've got a great view from here, and there's plenty of space for the both of us."

Forgetting entirely about the kimono in her lap, Ryoko turned over and crawled up to the window so that she could see both the moon and Tenchi at the same time. Not surprisingly, she found it difficult to keep her eyes on the moon, despite the red orb's journey through the planet's shadow.

"Wow." Tenchi said, intentionally trying to draw Ryoko's attention to the moon. "It sure is red."

"Yup."

Risking a quick look at the young lady, Tenchi saw that Ryoko was looking at him with a fond smile. Embarrassed, he looked away for a second.

"Um..."

"Is there something you want, Tenchi?"

"Well, I want to ask you something."

"So ask."

"About what you said earlier..."

"Yes?"

"Did you... really mean that?"

Ryoko looked out the window while she tried to think of what to say in response. The obvious reply was to simply admit the truth and say yes. But it was such a personal subject that she found it difficult to reply.

"That was kind of embarrassing, wasn't it?"

"A little. But, I clearly heard what you said, and then you denied it. It kind of bothered me."

Reaching out with her right hand, Ryoko set her fingertips on Tenchi's lips.

"Don't worry, my Tenchi. It's true. It's been true for as long as we've been together."

Tenchi reached up and took Ryoko's hand, removing her fingers from his lips so that he could speak.

"But, we've only known each other for a year. How can you feel that way so easily?"

Ryoko smiled even wider as she held Tenchi's hand. Sitting like this, alone with Tenchi, she felt at ease. She could talk easily and honestly without fear of anyone else interfering.

"Because, you may have known me for only a year, but I've watched you since you were a little baby."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Then how come you never showed yourself?"

"I was locked up in that cave, remember? But you freed me, Tenchi. If not for you, I'd still be a freeze-dried mummy."

Tenchi chuckled a little at hearing Ryoko refer to herself wth the same term he had once used for her. He felt glad she didn't hold that against him.

Seeing that she had gotten a smile out of Tenchi, Ryoko thought tht perhaps her luck had finally taken a turn for the better. At the moment, they were only holding hands and making eyes at each other. That didn't mean they couldn't take things further. But it seemed like Tenchi wanted a verbal confirmation of her earlier inadvertant mental communique before he would allow that. Getting up on her knees, Ryoko raised both hands up to Tenchi's face so that she could set her forehead against his. His breath curled across her face, warming her skin. She could even smell him.

"You gave me everything I never knew I was missing. So, yeah, I love you."

Tenchi had no idea how to respond to this. He had never known that Ryoko's feelings for him ran so deep. Her golden eyes bored into his, searching for something. Tenchi had a feeling that she wanted him to tell her that he loved her. But he couldn't tell her an untruth about something so important. Ryoko's honest feelings deserved an honest response. Tenchi only hoped that she wouldn't feel rejected when he told her that he did not feel the same. At least, not yet.

"Ryoko --" Tenchi started to give Ryoko his answer. But he never got there. Ryoko cut him off at the pass by closing the last little distance between them and kissing him on the lips. For an instant, Tenchi tensed, thinking that he should try to escape. But Ryoko was not being forceful. She wasn't even really holding him in place. She was just expressing the love that she held for him. And honestly, he had felt something tonight. Her change of dress, even if only temporary, and her greater openness and honesty really touched him. He did not want to hurt Ryoko by rejecting her at this point. But he still wasn't certain that this new turn of events was something permanent, or just a temporary change designed to gain his interest for the night. Overall, he simply didn't trust Ryoko enough at this point to commit to her. He needed more time to find the truth of his own feelings for her.

Despite all that, the feel of Ryoko's lips was hard to ignore. She seemed to know what she wanted and how to express her desires. Her arms went slowly around his shoulders, drawing them closer together. She was insistent, but not forceful. Tenchi did not feel trapped or confined within Ryoko's embrace. He felt only her desire for a deeper, more personal relationship. Tenchi wanted to do more to show Ryoko that he was of a like mind, if not as far-developed in his feelings as her. But he just wasn't confident enough yet with women in general to properly show Ryoko what he was feeling.

Mistaking Tenchi's lack of skill for reluctance, Ryoko began to feel less than desired. Pulling back a bit, she looked at Tenchi with some trepidation.

"You don't seem very interested."

"Sorry. I've never kissed a girl."

Realizing her error, Ryoko grinned.

"Oh. Well, you know what they say: 'Practice makes perfect.'" Ryoko's smile began to grow wider as she tried to close the distance.

"Yeah, but isn't it getting late?" Tenchi leaned back a bit to keep a fair amount of space between himself and Ryoko.

"Not really." Ryoko's smile did not waver in the least as she followed. "And there's still so much for you to learn."

"But you can't expect me to learn everything in one night."

Even this did not seem to dissuade Ryoko. She just kept smiling.

"Tenchi, you have no idea how much I can teach you in one night."

Tenchi sighed when he heard Ryoko returning to her typical sexual innuendos. He really didn't appreciate it when she acted so forward with him.

"You say you love me, then you act so casual about it. Its hard for me to take you seriously when you do that."

Tenchi's words hit home. Ryoko sat back, unsure of how to proceed. She wanted to heat things up tonight. But she didn't want to spoil the progress she and Tenchi were making.

"So..." Ryoko slowly tried to sound out what she thought Tenchi was trying to say, "you're saying... um..." Unable to figure it out on her own, Ryoko huffed out loud and then turned and set her arms on the window sill. "I don't know what you're trying to say."

"Ryoko, what I'm saying is that real love doesn't happen overnight."

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

Tenchi smiled when he saw Ryoko acting more like her normal impatient self. "Be patient, Ryoko. Maybe we could go out on a date."

Ryoko promptly perked up at the suggestion.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"Yes!" With a great big smile, Ryoko launched herself at Tenchi, knocking him flat on his back on the bed.

There was no kiss this time, only a great big hug that nearly suffocated Tenchi with adoration. This time, he got the idea of what to do. Tenchi put his arms around Ryoko, returning her happy embrace.

"Tenchi, can I sleep with you tonight?"

"No, Ryoko."

"What about tomorrow night?"

Long pause...

"You're never going to stop asking me that, are you?"

"Never."

END.

AFTERWORD:


End file.
